65th Hunger Games
by Hornet394
Summary: Finnick fishes. Janet hunts. Both looking for survival, both wishing for a future for their families and themselves. Both drawn into the unforgiving net of the 65th Hunger games. Prequel to the 70th Hunger Games  by Hornet394 T fo rblood. R & R!
1. Chapter 1

**Adieu guys, Hornet's back! And yeah, I know 70th Hunger Games is not finished, but I just can't focus on one project at the same time. So this is the long awaited... the highly anticipated... the Circle reforged! Okay just kidding. Just reread Will of the Empress and this sentence is funny ^^ So there's three main characters here: Finnick (ofc!), Mags, and Janet, who is my own character XD **

FPOV

Mark sauntered up to me, his eyebrows dancing. "I heard Jessica invited you out again." He smirked. I laughed and answered, "She tried to kiss me, but then I pushed her away. In front of her archenemy, Georgia Gesar. You should look at her face!" We both laughed loudly, and everyone in the dock shushed us. Ducking my head, I hauled the finished nets onto the Marocarp, Mark's father's ship.

"It's reaping day today." I said. Mark nodded grimly, the bubbly atmosphere fading away. Both of us were fourteen, still four years to go before we were safe. As District 4 kids, we were trained at school, but none in particular wanted to go. Well, at my form. Last year's volunteers almost fought to become the tribute. They died, of course.

"Mark!" His father called, "Can you help me take the remaining ropes to Mags?" Mark's head shot up in alarm. Mags was one of the three surviving victors, all females, and she was the oldest. I heard her Games was the 13th, one of the earliest. "Oh no," Mark wailed, "Again to the old woman!" For some reason not much people liked Mags. I, for one, avoided her as much as possible, I have only seen her once before, really, from a far shot, but they all say she is a weird hag.

"Never mind Mark, I'll go with you." I said. Mark simply sighed and gathered up the spare ropes, and we set off to the Victor's Village.

MPOV

I watched as Mark and his friend walked up the road from the window, with the ropes Spencer promised me. Today was reaping, and I needed something to distract me. Distract us, in fact. Athenadora and Leganna was at my place today. The doorbell rang, and Athenadora opened the door for me. We were so friends after enduring the Games, we both had the key of the others house, and most people can't even distinguish which house is whose.

It was Mark's friend at the front, with a sweet smile on his face. "The name's Finnick Odair," Leganna whispered. "Fourteen, but a ladies man. My girl saw her eighteen year old classmate try to kiss him today." Athenadora invited Mark and Finnick in, and they did, though Mark a bit relectunt.

"The ropes ma'am." Finnick said politely. He was taller than Mark, he had a lean body shape, and his looks killed. Only if I was younger... Leganna asked the kids to put the ropes in the storeroom, and when they went out of earshot, Athenadora said, "What a looker. Pity if he ends up in the Games." Leganna replied, "The pretty face won't get scarred. Well, if he wins."

Athenadora turned to me and asked, "Hey, it's Gerald's first time reaping, right?" I nodded grimly. Gerald, my grandson, hit twelve a week ago. "He's nervous, alright. His mother is with him. Both of you are lucky, well, maybe not that lucky to you, Leganna. You still have that other daughter."

Athenadora never married, and Leganna's eldest daughter passed turned nineteen a month ago. Leganna shook her head. "Things will get worse for me when Georgia has a baby." She said. "Or come home crying that she can't find a boyfriend." Athenadora commented. The three of us burst out laughing.

Finnick and Mark returned, and I said, "It's almost time for reaping. See you there."

Both kids said their goodbyes and left. Somehow there was a nagging feel. I wondered if their luck had ran out.

JPOV

"Janet!" My seven year old sister shrieked. "Beck!" My eleven year old brother cried, "Janet's busy!" Yeah, sure I was. Po's bow broke, and I had to make him a new one. "Alright, finished. What did you call me for, Beck?"

The kid ran up to me and asked, "Are you and Po going to the woods today?" I shook my head, "I've got to go the reaping, Becky girl. Now stay home and be a good girl because-" "Mummie needs me." She finished. I didn't bring Beck to the woods often, after all she was just a kid. Po, on the other hand, was another matter. I never want to take rations, never.

The reaping was a grim matter for all of us. Before Beck was born, in fact, our family still lived in the Seam. But Father and Mother saved money and now we were here, in the town, where Beck grew up. We didn't necessarily need to hunt, but I preferred that to having one more sheet with my name, or Po or Beck's name in the ball.

Half an hour later, in my white dress, Po and I set off to the towncentre.

The reaping, same as every year, was silent. The only sound present was the annoying chit chat of Effie Trinket, the new escort for our District, or the drunken grunts of the only surviving victor Haymitch Aberthany. "May the odds be with you!" Effie chirped, then she said, "Ladies first!" Her hand grabbled around the ball, and my eyes met Po's beyond the ropes. He was biting his nails, this was the first time he has ever been present at the reaping.

_Calm down_ I mouthed. Po put his hand down but started to bite his lip. Effie drew out the sheet of paper, carefully unfolding it. "Janet Maldex!"

The world collasped around me.

FPOV

"There ain't seem to be Careers this year." Mark whispered. I looked around. True, no-one seemed very happy or excited or... acting Career-like. Perula, the District 4 escort, bounced on stage. "Good morrrrrrrrrnin gentlemen and ladies, welcome to the reaping of the 65th Hunger games!"

The flouncy Capitol woman bounced around, as if she couldn't wait for the mayor to finish his speech, or as if she didn't want to acknowledge the three mentors, and when she finally stuck her hand into the male's ball, she was practically jumping her head off. "Today I got this special feeling this will be something different. May the odds _always _be with you!"

She giddily drew the paper out, but for some reason why, she dropped it. It floated out into the air, and she asked, "May someone read it out for me please?" The paper slowly dropped, and dropped, and dropped, to my feet. Every eye stared at me expectantly. "Hey dude. It's you." Mark nudged me.

But the huge stone in my heart weighed down, I just couldn't bend down and pick it up. Mark, seeing I didn't react, knelt down and picked it up for me. "You wanna read it?" After waiting for a response from me, he shrugged, he opened it. Then his eyes widened, and the sheet slipped from his hands as he staggered back.

"No... not..." Mark almost collasped, if not there were other boys holding him up. One of the other boys, one I didn't know, picked it up and read, "Fin... Finnick Odair."

.

..

...

What

The

No

Way

MPOV

The reactions from everybody else, especially the girls, were priceless. They gasped and shrieked and screamed, some acted the damsel in distriess and fainted. "Oh no." Leganna whispered. Perula's face was a mask of confusion. I guess she doesn't know what she wants to feel. Happy, because he's good-looking, sad, because the odds against him is high.

Finnick's own face was one of unbelieving shock. His friend had fainted. And the boy who had read his name out crouched onto the ground, burying his face in his hands. It seemed that he was not only a ladies man, he was popular with the boys. Finnick's eyes snapped suddenly to the stage, and walked robotically and stiffly onto it. Perula put an arm around him, drawing him close, but he did not react. "Well, well. It seems that District 4 has got itself a looker this year!" Perula purred. Then she put her hand into the female's ball.

"Corinna Ferda!" A twelve year old girl shrieked and somewhere parents began to cry. But suddenly someone shouted, "I volunteer as tribute." People searched for the speaker in vain, but Perula clapped her hands enthusiastically. "Great! Are there any volunteers?" No one spoke. "What is your name? Come on up!" Someone came up from the sixteen year old girls. "Diana Gesar."

Leganna started hyperventilating, a bad side effect left from the Games. She clutched her chest as she retched with pain, and medics immediately rushed ot her and brought her to the Justice Building to heal. Meanwhile, her younger daughter, the striking image of her mother, walked on stage haughtily. A Career. Finnick turned his eyes on his tribute partner, his green eyes meeting her blue ones. Finnick's lips curved in distaste.

Athenadora clutched my hands. "We cannot let Leganna mentor her own daughter." she said. I nodded. "Agreed." A few years from now on, I would regret on forgetting about this exchange, leading to my mistake. Something I could never change. Something that cost me lives.

"And so," Perula announced, "The tributes of District 4 this year is Finnick Odair and Diana Gesar!"

JPOV

I barely registered anything as I walked up the stage, standing beside Effie. She called for the boy, and Mark Jefret walked on stage. I knew him, he was one of the town boys who worked out in the carpentry. I heard from the carpenter that he was a rather talented carpenter. Too bad he was doomed.

My eyes involuntarily searched for Po's. His eyes were watering, his face grim. "Janet..." I thought I heard him whisper. At the corner of my eye I saw Effie motioning for me and Mark to shake, and I did that, robotically.

Led by the Peacekeepers into the Justice Building, one of them, the jolly Darius, he said, "Good luck to you." And then I was left there, in the room, waiting for my family to come.

FPOV

My father was the first one to come in, with my little sister Loretta. She was only five. "Finnick," My dad said gruffly, "Stay alive. Don't hesistate. I can't handle the business and your sister at the same time." That was only one sentence, but that meant a lot. I mean, after Mother's death we weren't on the best of terms. Loretta leaped on my lap, her small hands wrapping around my neck. "Finny?" Her eyes were wide with worry. We hadn't, exactly, explained the Games to her, but she knew something was wrong, she knew every year one of her classmates would return to school with puffy eyes.

"I'll be alright, Lory-tory. No need to be afraid." I said, smoothing back her tousled hair. "I'm not afraid." She said stubbornly, but her lips began to quiver. I hugged her close, breathing in the natural smell of the sea. "Hey, calm down, I'll dazzle my way out." I grinned. Loretta always said I kept on 'dazzling' her friends.

She giggled, but tears began to leak out.

It seemed to fast when Perula entered asking Father and Loretta out. So I waited, thinking who would come in next. My neighbour? My cat? I don't know. So I waited for like ten minutes before my next visitor came. To my surprise, it was Leganna Gesar.

"Finnick Odair." She said gruffly. "Mags' going to mentor you, Athenadora Diana." She buried her face in her hand, saying, "Help keep my daughter safe, Odair. I don't what the hell has happened to my daughter, I never knew she trained, she yelled at me just now. I don't want the Games to change my Diana."

As I stared on speechless, she explained, "I'm not saying you kill yourself, Odair. Just don't let her die so quickly. Let her have a greater chance to live."

That was all she said, leaving me sitting there, open-mouthed.

JPOV

Beck was sobbing, having raced over immediately after she found out. Po was relatively stronger, but, he was still only eleven. Father and Mother looked on passively, their eyes ashen pale. "Why doesn't District 12 have Careers?" Mother moaned. This was more of a statement than a question.

"Don't die." Po and Beck said in unison. "We love you." Tears came to my eyes and I hugged them tight. Heaven knows when I can hug my babies again. "I love you too." I whispered.

The short meeting was tense, full of tears and goodbyes. As my family filed out, Po and Beck each stole a quick kiss from me, before being ushered out by the Peacekeepers.

The next to come in was a man, surprisingly, a stranger. "I knew from Greasy Sae you hunted as well." he said immediately. My mouth was a perfect circle. "The bow man." I whispered. He blushed a bit, saying, "Well, actually, since we're both hunters, it would be a shame to see you die out there. One thing: Keep to the trees. Beware the ground. Use everything you can use, even hazards the Gamekeepers set on you. Don't keep your guard down, and don't built a fire unless necessary."

"Thank you." I whispered. He scratched his head. "It's nothing. It's just that I've got a daughter as well. It's a pity to see someone's daughter die out there."

**Alright I first give you mushy scenes (laughing from head to toe) 'cause I'm hyper and I'm dragging this out. This is the LONGEST chap I've ever written! *going hysterical PLEASE REVIEW! So sneak preview (who can guess which POV this is in? It's rather easy!):**

**My gaze rested on the soft cushions. Is this what the Capitol have everyday? **

**Hey you with the face on it. Look over here.**

**The words were slurred.**

**I turned**

**I'm your mentor.**

**Instructions: Follow the Arrows and Press the Button**

**Time allowed: Five minutes**

**You may start now**

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	2. Upon Arrival

FPOV

~Flashback~

I didn't hear the screams. I just heard adraline rushing to my head, and I grabbed Mark's arm as the ground threatened to rise up to my head. Unfortunately, that was a bad choice and we collasped to the ground together. I stared at the sandy soil, wide-eyed. Me, of everyone, reaped. Reaped. Reaped. Into that hellhole. Me, Finnick Odair, got reaped.

The next thought that entered my mind was to get up and be a good Odair. So I walked up, I think, rather stiffly, up to the stage. The ******* woman Perula put an arm around me, and I wanted to beat up her ******* face with a ******* piece of ****. Goodness, when did I become such a dirty mouth?

I dimly registered the name 'Corinna Ferda', a twelve year old girl who lived on the next street. Her older sister idolized me. Corinna was shrieking now, and I looked to her. She looked cute in her dress. Innocent. Vulnerable, even.

Then someone shouted, "I volunteer as tribute". Those ****** Careers. They have their entire life in front of them and they just throw it away. Just like that. Surprisingly, the voice identified herself as Diana Gesar.

I almost puked. Diana Gesar, do you have nothing to do that you're going to ******* piss your good mama and sis, killing yourself? I guess my face betrayed me, and I bet Diana saw it. She stared past me, ignoring me. She held her head high. *****. Great I have to end this ridiculous swear words.

A flurry of action caught my attention as Leganna Gesar slumped on the ground, jerking in spasms. The medics were around her in a flash, bringing her to the Justice Building. Diana Gesar continued her path onto the stage like she was fu- _proud _of it.

"And so," Perula announced, "The tributes of District 4 this year is Finnick Odair and Diana Gesar!"

~Flashback End~

That was probably the only thing I thought about on the train. Diana sat a chair's length away from me, slouching comfortable in her seat. "Cheer up, Odair." She drawled. "I won't throw my life away if I have the choice." I sneered. She smirked evilly, "Well, since we two are stuck here, there isn't any choice, huh?"

"You chose this path yourself." I snarled. Diana laughed, an annoying sound. "Stop being such ah emo, Odair."

I was about to rebuke her when the door opened, announcing the arrival of our guests. Our mentors. Perula, of course, was in the lead, and she smiled gushly at me. Ugh, I can't believe I'm being _lusted _over. Figures. I stood up though, when I saw the one behind her. "Mags." I said respectfully. Well, maybe not that respectful, since respectful needs of calling her 'Miss' or 'Ma' am' or her full name right? Instead of just Mags? Don't bother answering me. Now I'm talking to myself. Duh.

Athenadora Gelda was the last, and a Capitol attendant closed the door for them. "Diana, your mother won't be here with you. I'm mentoring you." Athenadora said, weary. From their looks, I don't think they support Diana being here. "And I'm mentoring you, Finnick." Mags said. Diana yawned, which Athenadora glared at. I shrugged. Then I thought, maybe that wasn't too polite, but Mags cracked a smile. "It's nice to see someone not peeing their pants." She said wrily. "They do?" I asked. She nodded. "Well, there was this one year when the boy... ...

JPOV

We were lounging on the couch, me and Mark Jefret. We were both stiff, silent. My gaze rested on the soft cushions. Is this what the Capitol have everyday? While the rest of us waited to die. My fists clenched, but a voice jerked me out of my thoughts.

"Hey you two with the face on it. Look over here."

The words were slurred.

I turned, so did Jefret.

"I'm your mentor." Haymitch Aberthany said gruffly. **(A/N: I was tempted to put in Lol here xdd)** I rolled my eyes. As if we didn't know. Effie Trinket was directly behind him, her face no more the ecstatic Capitol peacock during the Reaping. I silently cheered. One more doomed pair of District twelve-bies, as the mentor and escort thought so.

I know, I was so so so so so so so so down. But, do anyone expect to come back from the hellhole called the Games? Except the Careers, of course. Not us, the poor and rotting, bastard children from the Seam, from District 12.

Grimly, Trinket said, "Like all years, we'll be having dinner, reaping, and then your discussion with your mentor." Her voice was weary. I wonder why.

The four of us sat down stiffly at the large table, then Capitol attendants began to bring food in. My eyes bugged. _This _is what the Capitol people eat _EVERYDAY? _Jefret had the same reaction, choking. This was the most most most most most fabulous meal I've ever seen. A pang of jealousy rose in my chest. Did they even know how much children were starving out there in the streets?

Aberthany had his eyes trained on us, and I fixed him in a death glare. He shifted his gaze uncomfortably. Jefret, however, his gaze was fixated on the food. I thought he was a town boy...

When Trinket took the first bite, Jefret lunged for the nearest fish ravenously, probably never had eaten such a good thing before. Trinket eyed him in disgust, though Aberthany just shrugged. Did they starve him? I had no appetite, none at all. I missed Po. I missed Beck. I missed Father and Mother. I missed everyone in my life, a life that I could never go back to.

I suppose, then, I'd better enjoy my speck of remaining life.

. . .

After the very... unpleasant, unvocalized feast, Jefret wiped his mouth with his hands, while Trinket's mouth curved down in distaste. I smirked.

We spread out evenly on the couch, Trinket sitting as far from Jefret as she could. I made a deliberate move of mimicking Jefret's wiping on the hand when she was looking at me. She gagged.

But soon, soon, the recap captured me.

District 1.  
>Kirili Ashdon. A big, bulky boy, as all Careers tended to be.<br>Mercury Lengun. Tall, sleek, beautiful. I snorted.

District 2.  
>Loren Shaedon. He was eighteen, and lean, with a muscled body. He wasn't that much of a looker, but his eyes did the work for him. I swear I saw Trinket's eyes widen.<br>Velvet Rean. Plain, though she was rather fit for a girl. I shuddered.

District 3 passed swiftly. As usual the electronic geeks weren't very... er... threatening. I only caught the names Connor Leom and Rachel Esar.

District 4.  
>Finnick Odair. He was a looker, and we all caught the sharp intake of breath from Trinket. Aberthany grunted. Not a Career, I decided, he looked... shocked. However I saw the muscles on his arm, the firm set of jaw, as well as the looks. After all, I <em>was <em>a girl.  
>Diana Gesar was a Career. The girl she replaced was a twelve year old. A past Victor, one out of the three old women, had fainted. Her daughter, perhaps? She was haughty, she was proud, but she didn't have the strength or build to become a Career.<p>

District 5.  
>Nero Verda. Short, puny, huh.<br>Rose Teckan, taller than Verda, though she looked like a twelve year old.  
>They were the same as us. Expendable.<p>

District 6.  
>Adrian Imaret. His eyes were pale and weak, his footsteps uncertain, though his build was quite big. He might have been a competitor, if he just had more confidence.<br>Ray Nemora. She looked well-off, her clothes looked new and she had put on make-up. Someone wolf-whistled in the room. I snorted, maybe a bit too loudly. Her make-up was smearing from her tears.

District 7.  
>Darius Cella. He looked okay, his face quite innocent, with a wide mouth. He looked like he was about to cry. He was thirteen, perhaps less.<br>Lily Xephora. Long surname. She was tall, lean, though her ribs were poking out. Her mouth was set in a grim line.

District 8 was lingered on a bit, the girl tribute being mentored by the outstanding Johanna Mason. Sophie Macken, her name was. She looked determined, a bit like Mason. The boy, as usual, was... well... Renald Racem. The name is already...

District 9.  
>Jamie Gration. He had really big eyes, which was kind of cute. After all, twelve year olds ARE cute.<br>Leah McConner. Strange surname again. Geek.

District 10.  
>Teddy <strong>(AN: LUPIN xdd)** Coler had a girlfriend. This was the first thing I registered. She was a russet, and she was clinging to Coler. She wasn't eighteen, maybe one year older than Coler. Poor guys...  
>Tyra Pax, on the other hand, had no boyfriend. I guess fourteen year olds just don't have boyfriends.<p>

District 11. The pair was interesting...  
>Obel Mancer had thick eyebrows and a long shaft of her that covered his eyes. Duh.<br>Felicia Ebora was short, but her face proclaimed she was sixteen. Did she look like one?

District 12. Jefret jumped. Trinket was the only one to get the ladies' first.  
>I heard my name being called. Janet Maldex. My eyex seemed... unfocused. Then I realized I had been looking at Po. Thanfully I didn't cry.<br>When I was in my nanostate, Jefret was called. I guess he was trembling. I'm not sure. What I saw was two stranger shaking hands.

FPOV

After storytelling was complete, Diana and Athenadora was ushered into another room, while Mags and I stayed there. Mags immediately asked when we were alone, "Tell me, Finnick, who do you love most?" She said, her tone brisk but soft. "Loretta." I said without thinking. "Uh... my sister." I added.

She nodded to herself. "Finnick, there is something you have to know. It's most common with the Careers. If you win..." Then she bent down and whispered in my ear.

My eyes widened. What- the- oh- my- no- really- "Woah," I said, "Why do I have to do... THAT?" Mags lips were set in a grim line. "It happened once before, one I knew. Aberthany. Haymitch Aberthany.

"He was quite a looker in his days, just like you. And he won. But he didn't comply. His parents, older brother, baby sister, they all... And that makes him the drunkard he is nowadays."

She had looked out of the window, into the hills. I wonder what District it was.

"We can't fight them, Finnick. Never."

JPOV

The first thing I registered when I woke up was that the whole scene was different. Our talk with Aberthany hadn't gone well, matter of factly. Mostly it was he drinking while we sat there silent. But the scene... ohmigod. It was a beautiful, dazzling, I just don't know how to describe it. But I know how to say its name. The Capitol.

FPOV

I fidgeted as the train slowly pulled into the station, earning a glare from Mags and a sullen look from Diana. Oh dear, she's unhappy because she got lectured by Andromeda into the same talk. The face talk.

As the crowd came into view in the window, Mags nudged me and I gave the best winning smile I could muster, and waved. Someone screamed, hopefully in admiration. I winked. Some girls fainted. "Good job." Mags whispered, a hint of amusement in her tone. Gesar grunted, to the utmost despair of Andromeda. "You got a pretty face, Diana, but you wouldn't use it." She snarled, stalking off to wait for the train door to open.

Thus I arrived at the Capitol


End file.
